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Talitha Linehan: I would love to hear your story. So how did you get into this industry?
Gary Williams: I saw a film in 1994 called Remains of the Day. Anthony Hopkins is the butler; Emma Thompson's a housekeeper. I had no idea that butlers existed still. And I looked into it. I was living in South Africa at the time. I was born in England, I emigrated. And then I thought, let's see if this world still exists. It did, of course. I then registered with the Ivers Spencer School for butlers, traditional butler skills. I learned that, and my first job directly after that course was head butler of the Ritz London. I was headhunted at the Ritz. I worked for Studley Royal House. So, I was the head butler. Then I went on and worked for an IT billionaire, and then I worked for a Chinese billionaire.
Talitha Linehan: What was it about being a butler that piqued your interest?
Gary Williams: I never found a career that I was really happy [with]. I had a forestry degree, I'd done a stationary business, I had done many things, and I always felt… I wanted to be like Jacques Cousteau or David Attenborough. I wanted it to find something that I loved, and I didn't know what that was. So, when I saw this, I thought it ticks all the boxes because you're going to extraordinary places, you're going to get highly paid and you're going to meet fascinating people and see fascinating things. So, I thought, well, let's try that. And after many prayers, I found my calling, which is what I do today.
Talitha Linehan: We all have an idea in our heads of what a butler is, so I want to hear the reality.
Gary Williams: All more or less the same if you're looking at residences, palaces. So, your day starts off with either a meeting with the team or with the principal. You're waking up early morning; you're managing the housekeepers. Well, you might be doing light cooking yourself. You might be do light chauffeuring duties. You've got security. You've got the underbutlers, you've got the majordomo or the head butler. So, you're managing the household. You've got deliveries, contractors. You might be laying out the clothes in the morning, you might be packing suitcases, getting ready for travel, interacting with the PA with their travel plans. You might be flying with the principals, training staff within the households, making sure that you're geared up for the next party, dinner party, event. And we've got cash flow, we're booking restaurants. We've got a huge concierge responsibility. And on top of that, it could be setting up for teatime. Afternoon tea, English afternoon tea, coffees, maybe there's cigar service, mixing cocktails, going out into the gardens perhaps, picking flowers, doing flower design, working with the housekeeper. It is busy!
Talitha Linehan: How do you think the reality compares to people's idea of a butler?
Gary Williams: Look at Downton Abbey, elements in that are totally true. So certain countries will have a lot of staff. But if you look at, like, Europe and England, Downton Abbey in England doesn't exist anymore because of staff costs. If you’ve got a formal dinner in a stately home here in England and elsewhere in America, as well, we would dress formally for that. So quite similar to Downton Abbey.
Talitha Linehan: How do people respond when you tell them that you're a butler?
Gary Williams: People don't know we still exist. And then, of course, there's many butlers that aren't called butlers. So, they're called “house managers”. On board, say, the Four Seasons yachts, they'll be called “concierge” or they might be called “celebrity retreat hosts” or they may be called something else. America's “house manager”, normally. But they are always fascinated to hear what we do. And, of course, discretion is huge. So, you know, we don't share stories of what the principles are up to.
Talitha Linehan: Was there a particular challenge you had to overcome or is there an anecdote you'd like to share?
Gary Williams: There was an occasion where I'm going to call her Mrs Lee. She arrived at the house two days late. She had a little dog called Pugsy. It was a pug. Pugsy was in a Louis Vuitton handbag as she stepped out of the car. I said, “Hi, Mrs Lee, how is Pugsy?” And she said, “Gary, get the helicopter. Pugsy needs to go home. But you've got to be very careful when Pugsy flies, because Pugsy doesn't eat on the helicopter, and Pugsy only has Evian on water.”
Talitha Linehan: What kind of person do you have to be?
Gary Williams: Very disciplined, flexible, fit and healthy, get along with people, and it's that discretion, energy. You need a lot of energy. And you’ve got to be highly organized and on time. For anyone in service, they must do exercise. So, what I do in my spare time is I do a lot of sports. I do HYROX, and I've qualified to go to the world champs in Sweden.
Gary Williams: I saw a film in 1994 called Remains of the Day. Anthony Hopkins is the butler; Emma Thompson's a housekeeper. I had no idea that butlers existed still. And I looked into it. I was living in South Africa at the time. I was born in England, I emigrated. And then I thought, let's see if this world still exists. It did, of course. I then registered with the Ivers Spencer School for butlers, traditional butler skills. I learned that, and my first job directly after that course was head butler of the Ritz London. I was headhunted at the Ritz. I worked for Studley Royal House. So, I was the head butler. Then I went on and worked for an IT billionaire, and then I worked for a Chinese billionaire.
Talitha Linehan: What was it about being a butler that piqued your interest?
Gary Williams: I never found a career that I was really happy [with]. I had a forestry degree, I'd done a stationary business, I had done many things, and I always felt… I wanted to be like Jacques Cousteau or David Attenborough. I wanted it to find something that I loved, and I didn't know what that was. So, when I saw this, I thought it ticks all the boxes because you're going to extraordinary places, you're going to get highly paid and you're going to meet fascinating people and see fascinating things. So, I thought, well, let's try that. And after many prayers, I found my calling, which is what I do today.
Talitha Linehan: We all have an idea in our heads of what a butler is, so I want to hear the reality.
Gary Williams: All more or less the same if you're looking at residences, palaces. So, your day starts off with either a meeting with the team or with the principal. You're waking up early morning; you're managing the housekeepers. Well, you might be doing light cooking yourself. You might be do light chauffeuring duties. You've got security. You've got the underbutlers, you've got the majordomo or the head butler. So, you're managing the household. You've got deliveries, contractors. You might be laying out the clothes in the morning, you might be packing suitcases, getting ready for travel, interacting with the PA with their travel plans. You might be flying with the principals, training staff within the households, making sure that you're geared up for the next party, dinner party, event. And we've got cash flow, we're booking restaurants. We've got a huge concierge responsibility. And on top of that, it could be setting up for teatime. Afternoon tea, English afternoon tea, coffees, maybe there's cigar service, mixing cocktails, going out into the gardens perhaps, picking flowers, doing flower design, working with the housekeeper. It is busy!
Talitha Linehan: How do you think the reality compares to people's idea of a butler?
Gary Williams: Look at Downton Abbey, elements in that are totally true. So certain countries will have a lot of staff. But if you look at, like, Europe and England, Downton Abbey in England doesn't exist anymore because of staff costs. If you’ve got a formal dinner in a stately home here in England and elsewhere in America, as well, we would dress formally for that. So quite similar to Downton Abbey.
Talitha Linehan: How do people respond when you tell them that you're a butler?
Gary Williams: People don't know we still exist. And then, of course, there's many butlers that aren't called butlers. So, they're called “house managers”. On board, say, the Four Seasons yachts, they'll be called “concierge” or they might be called “celebrity retreat hosts” or they may be called something else. America's “house manager”, normally. But they are always fascinated to hear what we do. And, of course, discretion is huge. So, you know, we don't share stories of what the principles are up to.
Talitha Linehan: Was there a particular challenge you had to overcome or is there an anecdote you'd like to share?
Gary Williams: There was an occasion where I'm going to call her Mrs Lee. She arrived at the house two days late. She had a little dog called Pugsy. It was a pug. Pugsy was in a Louis Vuitton handbag as she stepped out of the car. I said, “Hi, Mrs Lee, how is Pugsy?” And she said, “Gary, get the helicopter. Pugsy needs to go home. But you've got to be very careful when Pugsy flies, because Pugsy doesn't eat on the helicopter, and Pugsy only has Evian on water.”
Talitha Linehan: What kind of person do you have to be?
Gary Williams: Very disciplined, flexible, fit and healthy, get along with people, and it's that discretion, energy. You need a lot of energy. And you’ve got to be highly organized and on time. For anyone in service, they must do exercise. So, what I do in my spare time is I do a lot of sports. I do HYROX, and I've qualified to go to the world champs in Sweden.
